Make America love again

When I was young, my summers were dominated by baseball, swimming and a tremendous sense of security. My 11-year-old daughter has had two consecutive summers kicked off by mass shootings, last year in Charleston, this year in Orlando. We must do better. Thankfully, she still maintains the innocence of a child, in spite of all this.

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Webster’s defines of hate as “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury.” Part of our problem today is that the candle of hate is burning from both ends. On one end is religious extremism and bigotry, which unfortunately can be found in all religions, including Christianity and Islam. America was founded on a core set of principles that includes religious freedom. Regardless of faith, and for that matter, ethnicity or sexual orientation, we are all equally American.

The flame on the other end of the candle is being fanned by the Republican presidential nominee. Donald Trump is not directly responsible for any of the attacks, but his fear-based rhetoric provides the essential ingredients for a stew chock-full of hate. He has peddled fear and anger about Hispanics and Muslims to a segment of Americans who are genuinely struggling. He promises to “make America great again” by hitting a magical restore button. Globalization, technology and massive demographic shifts suggest that restoration will never happen.

I was curious how close my daughter could come to the dictionary definition, so over lunch recently, I asked her to define “hate.” She paused, gently set her fork down and replied, “The opposite of love.” That pretty much sums it up. You can’t make America great again by just saying that you’re going to make America great again. We’re a melting pot. A huge quilt bound together by the threads of our diverse backgrounds and experiences.

I’m all for strength and vigilance, but that alone will not keep us secure. We also need more empathy. Simply put, we need to make America love again. If someone wants to emblazon that on a cheap baseball cap, I would wear it in a heartbeat.